Gate-latch.



M. B. MOYER.

GATE LATCH.

APPLIICATION FILED JAN.2, 1918.

1,301, 153, Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

STATEg PATENT @FFlQE.

MALCOLM "131 MOYER, or MONTEVIDEO, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO MOYER MANU- FACTURI-NG COMPANY, or MONTEVIDEO, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION or MINNESOTA.

GATE-LATCH.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that LMALOOLM B. Moran, a citizen of the United States, residing at Montevideo, in the county of Chippewa and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gate- "atches; and Ido declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the artto WhiCllsit appertainsto. make and use the same. i My inventionrelates principally to gate latches of the type employing vertically spaced'latching, means for engagement with the free end of aswinging gate to not only prevent opening of the gate, but lateral swingin or-tilting of said end thereof.

The 0 ject of my invention is to provide a latch of'the type set forth which may be easily and inexpensively manufactured and marketed, yet one which will be highly eflicient and durable, permittingv the gate to open in either direction as required and holding" it rigidly in closed position.

With the foregoing general objects in view, the invention resides in the novel features of construction and unique combinations of parts to be hereinafter fully described and claimed, the descriptive matter being supplemented by the accompanying drawings which form a part of "this specification-and in'which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the latch applied to a gate post-5 Fig. 2 is a perspective view looking in a different direction;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; .7

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the latch released;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the plane of the line 55 of Fig. 1; and,

Fig. 6 is' a detail vertical section on the plane indicated by the line 66 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings above briefly described,

the numerals 1 designate an upper and a lower support each preferably formed of a single length of angle iron so that it is provided with avertioal flange 2 and a horizontal flange 3. The flanges 2 may be secured to one of the gate posts P in any suitable manner, but I preferably rivet said flanges to pliable metal straps 4, said straps having a plurality of openings 4 to receive nails 5 Specification of Letters Patent.

or other suitable anchoring means. It is intended that the straps 4 shall be bent around the post regardless of the shape of the latter and that any preferred means shall be passed through the openings for securing the straps to the post or clamping them around the same.

' A pair of horizontally swinging forks 6 are pivoted at 7 to the horizontal flanges 3 of the supports 1, midway the ends of the latter, the pivoted inner ends of said forks having lugs 8 normally positioned between a pair of self-lowering latch bolts 9 which aredisposed vertically in parallel relation and extend through slots 10 in the flanges 3. The free end 11 of the ate is receivable in the forks 6 and is held within the latter when said forks aremaintained in operative position by the bolts 7 When these bolts are released however the forks will be swung laterally as will be clear from Fig. 4, by simply pushing the gate inone direction or the other, and said forks remain in this position until the gate is again closed, whereupon they receive the end 11 and are returned by its movement to their initial po sition, in which position they are locked by the inner edges: of said bolts are formed withnotches 12.

Any preferred raising means may be employed for the bolts but their upper ends are preferably bent laterally as shown at 13 for this purpose.

Preferably used in connection with the features above described, are guide loops 14 secured to the vertical flanges 2 of the supports 1 and alined with the openings 10, said loops receiving the bars 9 as shown. Each pair of loops as shown is formed by suitably bending a single metal bar and the center of such bar is riveted at 15 to the flange 2. To limit the upward and downward movement of the bolts 9, the portions of said bolts within the loops 14 are formed with vertical slots 16 through which stops 17 pass, said stops extending across the loops l4 and being preferably in the form of rivets as detailed in Fig. 6. These rivets pass through the loops 14, through the flanges 2, and preferably through the strap 4. From the foregoing, taken in connection Patented Apr. 22,1919. Application filed January 2, 1918. Serial No. 210,000.

with the accompanying drawing, it will be obvious that I have provided an extremely simple and inexpensive, yet a highly eflicient and durable latch for the purposes intended, and that the device will be easily operable when either opening or closing the gate. To open the latter, it is simply necessary to raise one or the other of the bolts '9, according to the direction in which the gate is to be swung, and the moment the forks 6 are swung laterally, they sustain the bolts 9 in raised position. It thus follows that when the forks are returned to normal position by closing of the gate, the previously released bolt will automatically drop to} operative position, thus locking the gate closed.

Since probably the best results are obtained from the several details shown and described, these details are preferably'employed, but within the scope of the invention as claimed, numerous minor changes may well be made. Also, in some typesof the latch, either the upper or lower latch mechanism might well be employed without the other, this of course necessitating a slight change in the form of the bolts 9, although no other alterations need be made.

I claim:

1. A latch comprising an upper and a lower support each having avertical flange and a horizontal flange extending therefrom each of the latter having a pair of spaced openings, a pair of guide loops extending from each of said vertical flanges in alinement with said openings, a pair of horizontally swinging zontal flanges, a pair of vertical bolts slidable through said openings and loops and having slots in the latter, and stops passing Copies of this patent may be obtained for forks pivoted to said horiacross said loops and received in said slots for limiting the movement of said bolts.

2. A latch comprising a support having a vertical and a horizontal flange, a horizontally swinging fork pivoted to said horizontal flange, a pair of vertically sliding bolts for holding said fork in operative position, said bolts contacting with said vertical flange, metal loops secured to said vertical flange and receiving said bolts slidably, said bolts having slots located in said loops, and stops extending across said loops and received in said slots.

3. Ina gate latch, an upper and a lower support each formed of a single length of angle iron, the horizontal flanges of said supports each having a pair of elongated slots contiguous to the vertical flanges, upper and lower forks pivoted to the horizontal flanges of said supports, a pair of rectilinear, one-piece, vertical, strap-iron bolts passing slidably and non-rotatabl-y through thes'lots of said horizontal flanges for controlling the movement of said forks, either bolt being sustained by the forks when the latter are moved to released position, and means for limiting the vertical slidingof said bolts, the inner edges of said bolts having notches cut therein to clear the upper fork when the bolts are raised, the upper ends of said bolts being given a lateral bendaway from said vertical flanges to form releasing handles.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two-subscribing witnesses.

MALCOLM B. MOYER. l Vitnesses:

WV. T. OLIVER, CHAS. A. Boss.

five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner'of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

